SunXia wrote:I watched Spirited Away several weeks ago after Jonathon Ross posted about watching it and it being one of the best movies ever!! I enjoyed it, was a bit random but enjoyable characters!! I only wish more Japanese animation was given more respect in the Western World!!

I enjoy Spirited Away, but I think I prefer most of the other Ghibli films I've seen. I love the story, but something about the charcter designs in that movie puts me on edge...

I also saw The Cat Returns recently and I think it may be a perfect movie. I had been avoiding it because I really enjoyed Whisper of the Heart and thought it would be just a meh spin-off, but my friend highly recommended it so I checked it out. I love the characters, the plot, the pacing, and the humor. It uses a different style of character design from most Ghibli films and I thought it worked really well with the story's tone.

Kong Wen wrote:My favourite Studio Ghibli work is Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

Speaking of which, it just arrived on your recommendation and I started playing this morning. So far, I've thoroughly enjoyed it! It almost feels like playing through a Studio Ghibli movie between the artwork and the game's personality.

Kong Wen wrote:My favourite Studio Ghibli work is Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

Speaking of which, it just arrived on your recommendation and I started playing this morning. So far, I've thoroughly enjoyed it! It almost feels like playing through a Studio Ghibli movie between the artwork and the game's personality.

Glad you're liking it so far! It's definitely a strong mix of Studio Ghibli and Dragon Quest with a strong sense of whimsy and an amazing childlike perspective. Prepare for the long haul, though, because it's an RPG inspired by the giants of the genre. I think it took me about 60 hours to beat it, and then another 40 or so hours to 100% it. I'll be happy to discuss some of the thematic elements with you when you're farther in.

"We spread the time as we can, but in the end the world takes it all back."— Roland Deschain, Wolves of the Calla

Kong Wen wrote:Glad you're liking it so far! It's definitely a strong mix of Studio Ghibli and Dragon Quest with a strong sense of whimsy and an amazing childlike perspective. Prepare for the long haul, though, because it's an RPG inspired by the giants of the genre. I think it took me about 60 hours to beat it, and then another 40 or so hours to 100% it. I'll be happy to discuss some of the thematic elements with you when you're farther in.

Sounds great!

I'll be plodding along with a free hour here or there, but I'm no less excited now after playing some more. Early on I wasn't expecting a whole lot of depth in terms of mechanics, but then I started digging through that wizard book (manual?) out of curiosity, and oh wow... it seems that expectation was anything but accurate.

I've also been very pleasantly surprised at every turn. For example, the detail in the environment and even the various characters I've encountered. Running up and down along paths in that first forest was especially striking.

I hope it continues this way; seems like exactly the sort of RPG I enjoy.